Editorial

Political capital, not gun violence, main Senate target

Wednesday, June 22, 2016

One measure would ban gun sales to suspected terrorists. Another would deny gun sales to known or suspected terrorists as long as a judge agrees within three days. A third would expand background checks to private gun sales and a fourth would encourage states to share more information on suspected terrorists with the FBI.

What do all the gun control measures have in common?

They all failed in the Senate, largely along party lines.

Two were sponsored and supported mostly by Democrats, two others by Republicans.

What does it prove?

Senators are more interested in making political points this election year than actually doing something that would require any sort of compromise.

Despite what you see on television, it's not that easy to trace a gun to its purchaser or current owner.

The Firearm Owners' Protection Act of 1986 prohibits the national government or any state from keeping any sort of database or registry that ties firearms directly to their owners, except in the course of a criminal investigation.

Many local governments flout the law, however, such as New York City, which requires by law that any citizen registers each and every firearm with the NYPD.

Nebraska has few restrictions on long guns, but you must have a handgun certificate or concealed carry permit, which require background checks, to buy a handgun. Omaha requires registration of all handguns and Lincoln requires reporting of firearm sales other than long guns commonly used for sporting purposes.

And, despite the wording of the 1986 FOPA, the feds keep millions of records, with specific firearms, owners and addresses, for multiple sales, of guns suspected of being used in crime, traced guns, businesses that have gone out of business, guns that are stolen and certain guns such as fully automatic firearms, short-barrel rifles and shotguns.

Guns with high-capacity magazines are attractive to those who are intent on killing a large number of people in a short time, and we wouldn't be surprised to see Congress return to restrictions on that type of equipment, misguided as that effort might be.

That's just what it is, however, equipment incapable of causing any harm without the direction of a human bent on destruction.

Without attention to the underlying causes, and making sure potential targets are adequately protected, by firearms if necessary, any new gun laws will be for naught.

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